


A Fight Worthwhile

by Velace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emma is a horny idiot, F/F, Regina is terrible in the best way possible, Some Humor, and then in a slight not good way at all, none of the other characters are important, they never are
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:13:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23408110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velace/pseuds/Velace
Summary: Season 1. Emma tries to set things right between her and Regina, and admits something she hadn't meant to. Regina takes full advantage of the fact.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 225
Kudos: 587





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Still trying. Good day today, I guess.

A knock, a growl and a door almost flying off of its hinges in Regina’s attempt to get rid of whoever it was that had decided to interrupt her night. She sighed upon seeing that it was Emma. “Miss Swan.”

Emma blinked. “Oh. I’m here.” She took a breath. Released it. “Right, okay.”

Regina raised a brow, impatience already worn thin. Why did she have to be attracted to this idiot? She snapped, “What do you want?”

Another breath. “Regina,” Emma began, “this thing between us, it has to end.”

Thing? Regina was confused. What _thing_? She was still in the process of trying to prevent the only _thing_ she could think of. “Pardon?”

“The fighting?” Emma said, disbelief in her expression. “The arguing over Henry? The stupid threats?” Exasperated, she concluded, “You gotta chill, Madam Mayor.”

Her brow rose even higher. “Or what?”

“Uh.” Shoving hands into jacket pockets, Emma confessed, “I wasn’t really prepared to threaten you or anything.”

“Your mistake.”

She snorted. “Regina, come on.” A near whine; pathetic, but tolerable. “Aren’t you tired?”

Regina sniffed. “Not particularly.”

“Well I am!”

Not expecting to be shouted at, she almost reared back. She contained herself. “And this is my problem?”

“Unless you want me to ravish you the next time you’re an asshole to me, yes!”

Mouth agape, eyes wide, as if she hadn’t meant to say the words. Regina hid her smirk. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not repeating that.” Adamant, Emma demanded, “Stop being an asshole. I mean it, Regina, I’m tired of having to…” She hesitated, squeezed her eyes shut, opened them. “Just stop. You’re an adult, for fuck sakes, act like it.”

Amusement overriding any of her own hesitation, Regina laughed darkly. “Rich coming from the woman who eats-”

She gasped into the hand suddenly covering her mouth. “No.”

She glared, the indignant _Miss Swan_ mumbled into a palm.

“Stop being mean,” Emma repeated. “This is difficult enough as it is.”

“Release me, this instant.”

“Fine.” Hand dropping, Emma stepped back. “You’re released, now stop.”

Another demand. It rankled Regina. Who did Emma think she was? Come to think of it, who did Emma think _she_ was, as if she could be ordered about like some common peasant. “No.”

“What?”

“I said,” she drawled, “no.”

“I know what you said!” Emma huffed. “What do you mean _no_?”

Shrugging, Regina replied, “I’m a naturally curious person, Miss Swan.” Besides, it would piss Emma off if she disobeyed her, and nothing could possibly amuse Regina more.

There was also that whole attraction to her thing to consider.

Confusion, anger, realization and then, more adamance. “I am not ravishing you.”

Regina smirked. She was definitely going to have some fun with this. “Given your current state, I don’t think that’s your decision anymore now, is it?”

“You’re just… you’re-” Emma threw her hands up. “What is wrong with you?”

“Says the woman who gets turned on when I’m _mean_ to her.” Regina breathed a laugh and leaned in. “I don’t think I’m the one that’s wrong here, hmm?”

Something akin to a squeak passed between them before Emma reared back. “I hate you.”

“I hate you too, dear.” Regina fluttered her lashes and grinned. She stepped back from the door and invited Emma in. She knew it wouldn’t be quite so simple, but no one could fault her for trying, surely. “Won’t you come in, Miss Swan?”

“No.”

“Don’t be difficult,” she purred. “I promise I don’t bite…” Her stomach heated at the thought that followed. “Unless you want me to.”

“I cannot believe-” Emma shook her head. After a little thought, she probably could believe it. Regina was nothing if not purposely difficult and infuriating, and they both knew it. “You drive me so fucking crazy.”

“Mmm, believe it or not, I figured that much out from your babbling.”

Emma growled. It sent tingles down Regina’s spine. “I am not coming-”

“Not yet,” she interrupted.

“Regina!”

“Why don’t you simply give in? You always do.”

Stubborn. Determined. Emma growled and turned away, counter thrown over the shoulder. “Not this time, lady.”

Regina watched her go, eyes drawn to too tight jeans and the firm ass that sauntered away from her as she murmured to herself. “We shall see.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this is not a new story. I refuse, but I had ideas and the muse takes my refusals about as well as you lot take my pleas to convince me not to write smut, meaning were all shit, so who cares.

Emma couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep. Regina had come onto her, and she’d been so goddamn tempted that after a week, she was _still_ thinking about it. It didn’t help that Regina had stuck to her guns and continued to be an asshole to her. Hell, she was an even bigger asshole now than she had been in the past. The slightest, miniscule thing she could ridicule Emma over, and she was on it like a starved lion on a juicy deer.

Wanting to scream her frustration when a similar image entered her mind, Emma slammed her head down on her desk. She was no meek ass deer, but the thought of Regina pouncing on her was not helping in the slightest. God, she was so very fucked.

“Sleeping on the job, Miss Swan? How very expected.”

“Oh, fuck off,” she groaned even as her thighs clenched. She couldn’t take any more. Not today.

“Now, is that any way to talk to your heart’s desire?”

She resisted, both the words and the fact she could _feel_ Regina’s smug, sexy ass right next to her. “Go away,” she mumbled. “Preferably before I murder you.”

A deep, lustful laugh met her words and it took every ounce of restraint she had not to react to the sensation of heat beside her head. She swore silently. Rather than leave, Regina had apparently decided to sit on her desk.

“Emma.”

Warm, inviting; Regina had never said her name like that before.

“No,” she said, gritting her teeth.

“You could stop this.” 

Her hair shifted, a slim finger drawing it away from her face and tucking it behind an ear. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head again, forcing the hair back. “Leave me alone, you she-devil.”

Another laugh, this one almost affectionate sounding. “Is the thought of giving in to me really so bad?”

No, and that was the problem. Sure, there were plenty of reasons _not_ to give in, the biggest one being their son potentially finding out and hating _both_ of them, but reason wasn’t really the deciding factor here. She refused to be someone’s toy, which was exactly what she would become if she stopped resisting.

“I won’t be your puppet.”

Silence, brief but weighted. “Puppet?”

Emma frowned. Regina sounded- not angry, exactly. Offended maybe, or hurt. Emma turned her head and opened her eyes, blinking when she’s met with a soft looking thigh, before forcing her eyes up and meeting the dark gaze staring down on her.

There was definitely some anger, but there was also definitely pain. She’d seen the look often enough thanks to their son and his abhorrent treatment of her as of late. Why pain? Emma wasn’t sure. Maybe, despite their fights, Regina had assumed she’d thought better of her.

She did, some days, but given the circumstances and considering Regina had never once appeared sympathetic or even understanding of _her_ feelings, how could she? Regina liked to control people, so why would she assume differently?

Sighing, she shifted and pressed her forehead against Regina’s thigh. “I’m going to regret this,” she murmured. Regina would use it against her, make her life even more of a living Hell, but if she really wanted all of this to be done, then there wasn’t a whole lot of choice involved. “It’s not just sex.”

“Not just-”

“Don’t get me wrong,” she interjected. “A lot of it… like, a lot a lot, is about sex. You’re stupidly attractive, even more so when you’re pissed at me, but there’s- something. More. If there wasn’t, I’d have gladly walked through your door last week.”

“Oh, this is rich.” Regina chuckled, tone mocking. Emma flinched, she’d known it was coming, of course, but it hadn’t stopped her from hoping. “Emma Swan has _feelings_.”

Heat suffused her cheeks and her nostrils flared, but she took a breath. She straightened her back, sitting up, and met the sneering expression with a blank one of her own. “Yes,” she admitted. “I have feelings, feelings you don’t give a single fuck about, which is why-” She leaned in. “-I will _never_ get into bed with you, so get the fuck out of my office and stay the hell away from me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sorry. At all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not a new story. I don't care how many times I update it.

Well. Regina sighed. That wasn’t quite how that was supposed to go. She’d been certain after a week of the Evil Queen strutting about town, Emma couldn’t possibly resist her. How wrong she had been. How  _ stupid _ she had been to mock the woman. Even if she didn’t appreciate the fact Emma had feelings for her, which she did, she could have at least pretended otherwise but no, she had to make all of this harder for herself.

Emma had already proven a challenge, which was both surprising and not. Emma challenged her constantly, but when it came to this? Seduction, manipulation and getting exactly what she wanted? Emma wasn’t meant to challenge  _ this _ . Regina hadn’t expected her to fall at her feet in supplication, that wasn’t Emma, but nor had she expected to be cursed so thoroughly and thrown out of the office.

Worse, she certainly had no idea it would arouse her as much as it had.

“Madam Mayor?”

The voice startled her, but Regina refused to show weakness, even subconsciously, and sneered at the woman approaching her. “Miss Lucas.”

“Are you alright?”

She opened her mouth, venom on her tongue, but paused as an idea entered her mind. She gave the waitress a once over, gaze lingering on far too much cleavage, then shook her head, overcome with mild disgust.

No. While it might be possible to make Emma jealous, it also might backfire on her. Also, the thought of seducing Ruby Lucas was about as appealing as setting herself on fire. The woman was not only classless, but the best friend of her arch nemesis. No, she’d definitely need to find another way to get Emma Swan’s head between her thighs.

“Quite, Miss Lucas,” she replied, ignoring the woman’s curious stare. So what if she was standing there on the sidewalk, staring off into the distance? It was none of anyone’s business  _ and _ it was her sidewalk. “Run along, little girl.”

With a huff and roll of the eyes, Ruby strutted away. Regina looked, her mind far behind her in the station with her current fixation, but her eyes glued to the sway of hips until the waitress disappeared around the corner. 

Snapping out of it, she grimaced and turned on her heel, returning to her office at a near march. She dismissed her secretary’s attempt to waylay her with a wave of the hand. There was no need for a run down of her day when she had every intention of cancelling what remained of it.

Just as soon as her meeting with the Sheriff was done.

Smirking, she set about completing what paperwork was left on her desk and the two hours passed in no time at all.

“Madam Mayor? Sheriff Swan has arrived.”

Mouth twitching, Regina finished perusing the document in front of her, signed it, then leaned over and told the woman to send her in. She smirked as soon as the door opened and Emma appeared, her cheeks a delightful shade of pink as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck and refused to look anywhere near Regina.

“Sheriff,” Regina greeted her. “Close the door and take a seat.”

Emma hesitated, but barely long enough to register before she sighed and turned to close the door. She then made her way to Regina’s desk, still refusing to look at her, and sat down in one of the uncomfortable visitor’s chairs.

Taking a moment to appreciate the mere sight of her, Regina hummed. It really was unfortunate how attractive the woman was, despite the awkward tension in the air. She sighed, adorning her mayoral mask, and held out her hand.

“I assume those are the budget reports.”

Emma said nothing and simply placed the folder in her hand. Her own hands in her lap, she studied the ground as though it were the most fascinating thing in the room. Regina frowned at her.

Shy, embarrassed- whatever it was, did not suit her Sheriff.

Dropping the folder to her desk, she flicked it open. As she glanced over the reports, she said, “Henry would like you to come to dinner.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He’d asked. Sure, the last time had been three days ago and she’d said no quite viciously, but what else was she supposed to do?

“He’s wanted that since the day I arrived in town.”

Regina sniffed. It was true. Some nights he didn’t ask, but she’d still known he’d wanted to. “Yes, well,” she murmured, conceding, “I’ve only recently decided I don’t loathe the idea.”

She had also decided that if seduction and cruelty failed, perhaps what passed as  _ nice _ from her might succeed at getting her what she wanted.

Then again, considering the sigh Emma just unleashed on her, perhaps the only thing it was going to get her was more swearing.

“What are you doing, Regina?”

Peering up at her from the report, she replied, “Inviting you to dinner.”

“Why?” 

Faced with the familiar intensity of those vivid green eyes, she glanced back down as she answered, “Because you asked me to stop.”

Emma snorted. “Are all your decisions this late?”

Not looking up again, Regina hid the roll of her eyes. Trust Emma to be suspicious when she’s  _ not _ being a bitch. If only the woman was as stupid as Regina often accused her. “Only the important ones,” she mumbled. Clearing her throat, she added, “If you’d like time to consider it, it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

“No, I’ll come.” Regina’s head snapped up, unable to hide her surprise. Emma smirked as she gestured to her. “I wanna see how long this lasts.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it might be a new story.

Emma knocked on the door of 108. She was a good fifteen minutes late on purpose. She wasn’t kidding about testing Regina. She knew exactly what the woman was doing with her being  _ nice _ shtick and if she thought Emma was that easy, she was in for a rude awakening.

Henry opened the door, his expression twisting in confusion. “Ma? What are you doing here?”

She smiled while sending a silent curse Regina’s way. “Hey kid. Your mother invited me to dinner.”

“Really?”

His beaming smile relaxed her immediately. Okay, so maybe Regina leaving the surprise up to her wasn’t such a bad thing. She sighed inwardly. “Really,” she said, grinning. “You gonna let me in?”

“Yeah!” He stepped away from the door, closing it behind her when she entered and telling her about his day while she removed her jacket. When he noticed what she was wearing, he paused partway through a story about one of his classmates being an idiot. “Why’d you dress up?”

Hanging it on a hook beside the door, she felt the heat in her cheeks. As much as she’d love to claim not to know why, she absolutely knew why. He didn’t need to know the reason, though. “It’s polite to dress nice when invited to dinner, kid.”

It wasn’t her truth, but it at least wasn’t a lie.

“But it’s just us.”

She snorted. “Just us, he says.” She turned around and looked down at him with a grin. “Do you know who your mother is?” He grinned back in a way that said he knew  _ exactly _ who Regina was. “Speaking of?”

“Kitchen,” he said. “She’s been in there for hours.”

Emma raised a brow, smirking on the inside. “Does that mean she hasn’t been out here to make sure you finished your homework?” His face contorted in protest, but she pointed to the stairs, brow rising even higher. 

He sighed. “Two moms is the worst,” he mumbled as he turned away and slouched off toward the stairs. 

Emma laughed at the grin he threw her over a shoulder before making her way to the kitchen. Regina was at the island counter, leaning back against it with a glass of wine in hand as she stared out through the kitchen window. Emma stilled at the sight of her, a little in awe and a lot turned on.

_ Damn it. _

Regina was wearing a favourite dress of hers. It was dark blue and hugged her curves in a way that gave Emma innumerable ideas. She couldn’t see from where she was standing, but she knew for a fact the dress showed plenty of thigh and a respectable, for dinner at least, amount of cleavage. 

To top it off, Regina had also apparently gone to the hairdressers. Her hair had grown out in the last six months Emma had known her, but now it was cropped as short as it had been the day they met.

Emma loved the way it flared at the ends and drew attention to her neck.

She swore silently. Regina definitely had her number.

Taking a deep, quiet breath, she said, “I thought it was polite for the hostess to greet her guests.”

Regina snorted but didn’t turn. “And here I thought you’d appreciate our son’s excitement.”

“I appreciated it,” she murmured, finally stepping into the room. She moved as close as she was willing and leaned her hip against the counter. “I’d have appreciated this too.”

Regina turned her head then, a smile playing at her lips. Emma could see she knew exactly what she was thinking. More; she’d have appreciated Regina’s look a lot more, but given Henry  _ was _ her son, she knew she probably shouldn’t say it out loud, regardless of how true it was.

“Well, you certainly clean up well.” Drawn from her thoughts, she stared for an uncomfortably long time before she realized Regina was, despite her words, still ogling her, and flushed. “Did you miss those two buttons, or is the sight of your breasts something I should look forward to?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “You’re one to talk.”

“Yes, dear,” Regina purred, “but the sight of  _ my _ cleavage is no doubt something  _ you _ have come to expect. I, on the other hand, am being given a gift.”

Her face became impossibly hot.  _ Of course _ Regina had no idea this was how she  _ dressed up _ . It was a habit from her bounty hunting days; guys were far easier to catch if you were willing to give them a little show with dinner. The only real difference was the fact she wasn’t wearing a dress because she also had a feeling Regina would like the shirt and slacks more.

There was also the fact she was fairly confident that she’d already  _ caught _ Regina.

“Yeah, well...” She cleared her throat, feigning some of that confidence when she said, “You invited me to dinner, I figured a thank you was in order.”

A husky, spine-tingling chuckle later, Regina replied, “Your gratitude is very much appreciated.”

Mouth drying, Emma glanced away for a moment. When she glanced back, an additional glass of wine appeared in an out-stretched hand. She accepted it, shivering at the chill that met her fingers, and raised her brow. “Either you’re psychic or-”

“I expected your attempt to get under my skin by being late-” Regina interjected with a hum and a smirk. “-and poured you a glass while you spoke to our son.”

Emma couldn’t resist smiling. “I’m that predictable, huh?”

“You’ve surprised me in other ways recently,” Regina admitted, “but when it comes to annoying me; yes, you are rather predictable.” Meeting her stare, Regina smiled, her eyes soft as she added, “Thankfully.”

Emma realized, quite suddenly, that she was fucking doomed.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma Swan, as it turned out, was rather quite sneaky. Regina had invited her to dinner, intending to _nice_ her into bed and rather than spend the night warming her sheets, Emma had left at a respectable time with a promise of more invitations to dinner and three afternoons a week with Henry. 

How Emma managed this, Regina wasn’t entirely sure. She had been horrifyingly pleasant and Emma had been receptive, to an extent. There was no flirting, very little blushing when Regina _tried_ to flirt, and their entire night was spent in the company of their son. She would have complained, even if only to herself, but Henry was happy and a happy Henry made for an unsurprisingly content mother. Emma, it seemed, was going to present a far bigger challenge than Regina had first anticipated.

The day after their dinner, Regina had wondered if she was up for said challenge and after very little thought, decided that she was, which was why she cancelled every meeting Emma had with her for the next month, as well as any town meetings where the Sheriff’s presence wasn’t absolutely necessary.

Forever.

Which was, apparently, a mistake.

“What the fuck, Regina?”

For the last five minutes or so, she had sat in the comfort of her office and listened to Emma berate her over the phone. Again, she wasn’t entirely sure _why_ she simply sat there and took it. Her niceness did not extend to tolerating rudeness and certainly not in the form of Emma Swan’s spectacularly colourful vocabulary.

“Well?” A biting comment pertaining to the woman’s time in jail sat on her tongue. She bit the tip. “Regina?”

Lids fluttering, she breathed in deeply through her nose, and then did what no one in their right mind would ever expect her to; she explained herself. “Miss Swan, over these last six months that we have known each other, it has not escaped my attention that you don’t particularly enjoy our meetings,” she said. “If the constant complaints I hear from you after every town meeting are any indication, you don’t appear to enjoy them either. I assumed, given these facts, you might appreciate it were I to exclude you from them in future.”

“Buh.” Emma sputtered her way through multiple attempts at a response and Regina’s smirk grew with every one. “Gah!”

Dial tone suddenly in her ear, Regina frowned as she pulled the phone away. “Well,” she drawled, “I suppose I can learn to tolerate a certain amount of insolence.” 

There are worse things, she thought, shrugging as she placed the phone down and returned to her work, or tried to.

No more than ten minutes passed before she heard voices from outside her office. She was about to reach over for the intercom and berate her secretary for all the noise when her door flew open to reveal Emma Swan in all her exasperated glory.

Teeth to cheek, Regina stifled a grin and glanced to her secretary. “The Sheriff is free to barge in whenever the mood strikes her,” she informed. “Be a dear and close the door.”

She frowned but, as Emma inched her way into the room, she did as she was told and closed the door. Regina grinned the moment she was gone. “Miss Swan,” she purred, “what a pleasant surprise.”

Emma snorted. “If I didn’t know what you were upto, I’d obtain a warrant to search you for drugs.” Head shaking, she dropped into a visitor’s chair. “You’re going to scare the town if you keep this up.”

“Do I not, generally?”

Emma inclined her head. “Point.” Expression turning serious, she folded her arms over her chest. Regina placed the pen in her hand down and provided the woman her undivided attention, too eagerly it would seem, as Emma chuckled and the expression vanished. She sighed and said, “You’re not cancelling all of those meetings.”

“No?”

“No. My weekly meetings with you will continue and you will continue to force me to go to town meetings because I’m the Sheriff and even though they’re boring as hell, I should be there.”

“I will agree-” Happily. “-if you tell me why, because we both know your weekly meetings with me were merely put in place to upset you and amuse me.”

Emma nodded. “They’re a chance to see you.” she said, raising a finger when Regina tried to respond. “And if you’re about to mock me for telling the truth again-”

“I wasn’t.” She had learned her lesson, fortunately.

“Good.” Biting her lip as it twitched, Emma gestured for her to go on.

“If your wish to continue the meetings is simply so you can see me, perhaps we might have lunch together instead.” She refrained from suggesting lunch every day, if only not to appear _too_ eager. “Unless you’d rather people not know we’re getting along, in which case I’ll pencil your usual Fridays back into my calendar.”

Emma gazed at her, the look on her face thoughtful. Regina waited patiently, thankful she wasn’t forced to wait too long as Emma began to nod. “Alright,” she said, “but twice a week, and I reserve the right to change my mind.” A raised finger once again stopped Regina from responding too quickly. “I also don’t give a shit what other people think, so keep that in my mind for any future suggestions.”

Regina smiled. “Very well- ah, before I forget; Henry has requested Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, as well as Saturdays.” She frowned when Emma shook her head. “No?”

“Not the weekend.”

“But-”

“That’s your time with him,” Emma insisted as she rose from her chair. “I have to go back to work, but tell him to pick another day and it’s his- not Sundays.”

“That is part of the weekend,” Regina drawled teasingly.

“Uh huh.” Hand on the door, Emma said, “Mondays and Fridays for you.” She grinned, adding, “My weekends will be boring otherwise,” before she slipped through the door and out of sight.

Regina blinked at the closed door, uncertain if Emma had meant that quite how her mind had chosen to take it. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought and set a reminder on her phone for every Monday and Friday, grinning stupidly to herself as she got back to work.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I bought the new Mount and Blade game and couldn't stop playing it. Quick update to apologize. The muse is still around and I still want to write this, I'm just really easily distracted.

Emma didn’t expect to see Regina over the weekend. Imagine her surprise when she heard the knock at her door and opened it to the sight of the woman in question on Sunday. Imagine her _confusion_ because she’d always thought that the day Regina deigned to show up at Mary Margaret’s apartment, would be the day the world ended.

Neither surprise nor confusion, however, could contend with what she felt afterwards when Henry popped out from behind Regina and declared Sundays officially family days. It was weird, kind of sweet and a whole lot of what the fuck.

Regina was definitely taking the pleasant persona thing a little too far.

“Have you lost your mind?”

She’d been forced to get dressed at Henry’s behest and had just stepped outside to find Regina waiting for her while their son was already halfway down the street. Out of ear shot from him, she figured it was the safest time to question his mother.

Regina straightened from where she leaned against the building and turned from her, answering as she sought to catch up to Henry. “I believe that happened the day I stopped despising your very existence.”

Emma gasped. That wasn’t _nice_. Thank God. Falling into step beside her, she said, “Well that was uncalled for.”

Regina snorted. “Says the ungrateful woman questioning my generosity.”

She had a point. Not that Emma was going to concede, but it was there, being ignored. “You spent six months telling me to stay away from your son while trying to run me out of town, I think I’m owed the right to be a tiny bit suspicious.”

“Tiny bit? Please, I half expect a black van to pull up beside us at any moment and government agents to pour out of it, lured here by your suspicion.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works,” Emma countered, stifling a laugh. “Where are we even going?”

“Henry wants ice cream,” Regina replied, which- okay, it technically answered the question, but what? 

“It’s 10 am.” 

Emma loved ice cream as much as the next person, but not before dinner. After was the perfect time; no need to worry about sugar rush when you’ve slept through it. Granted, her conflict over ice cream at 10 am stemmed more from the fact that it was Regina suggesting it. If ever she had reason to be suspicious...

“Your point?”

“Maybe those agents will show up when everyone else realizes you’ve been replaced by a pod person,” she teased.

“Every one of those movies was terrible.”

“The 93 one was-”

“The worst of them all,” Regina interrupted. 

Emma rolled her eyes. “So, that’s a no to movie nights.”

“As long as you’re not in charge of them,” Regina turned her head as she teased her, another one of those smiles playing on her lips. “I could be persuaded.”

Smiling back, Emma feigned offense even as her stomach warmed. “Rudeness abounds.”

“Mom! Ma!”

Drawing their attention, Emma shook her head as they watched their son bounce from foot to foot in front of the ice cream parlour. “He really doesn’t need any more sugar.”

“Now you play the sensible parent,” Regina drawled.

Emma shoulder bumped her, staying close as she lowered her voice and murmured, “To be fair, younger me was busy hate-crushing on his mom.”

If she weren’t so intune with the mother of her son, Emma would have assumed she’d imagined it, but she definitely felt it when Regina leaned into her briefly. “I’d sympathize,” she replied, “but given we were in the same position and _I_ somehow still managed to instill some sense of responsibility in him-”

“We can’t all be perfect like you, Regina.”

A smirk, decidedly more filthy than her usual ones, graced Regina’s mouth. “I’m already buying you ice cream, Miss Swan, there's no need to sweet talk me.”

Naturally, Emma tried to protest. She was being _sarcastic_ , damn it. “I-”

“Especially since I prefer it dirty.”

Mouth snapping shut, she stilled as Regina continued on, passing by their son and pushing into the ice cream parlour. She knew Regina didn’t play fair. She’d known it all along and still, somehow, Emma had assumed that what had innocently been dubbed _family day_ might be the one day she could go without Regina turning her on. “Son of a-”

“Ma!”

“I’m coming, geez.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment count 69. Nice.

Monday morning, Regina woke with a grin already plastered to her face. Yesterday had turned out far better than she’d imagined. After the ice cream parlour, they’d gone to the park and walked around for a bit. Despite Henry’s insistence that he was a growing boy and the ice cream wasn’t going to do him any harm, Emma had insisted that if they were going to eat so much sugar so early in the morning, then they were going to get some exercise afterwards.

Regina hadn’t complained- had, in fact, agreed with her. Henry’s pleas fell on deaf ears and when he finally realized that, for once, his mothers were a team and neither of them were paying him the attention he sought, he’d calmed down and enjoyed their time together almost as much as Regina did.

When it was time for lunch, Regina suggested Granny’s, so that was what they did. While there, Emma proved what she’d said the day before about not caring about what other people thought. Anyone who dared so much as glance curiously in their direction received a glare for their trouble.

An hour or so later, with food out of the way, Regina was at a loss for what to do next to keep the three of them together. Luckily, Henry decided it was the perfect time to mention video games and before either of them realized, Regina had led them all back to 108 where a console awaited them in the den.

Emma’s second dinner with them came and went. With the help of their son, it took Regina very little convincing to get her to stay for a movie, and even less after a few beers for her to agree to sleep in the guest room. 

It wasn’t where Regina wanted her to sleep, obviously, but it was progress and deserving of her grin this morning.

When the knock came at her bedroom door mere moments after she woke, she groaned and rolled out of bed. She ran a hand through her hair before opening the door, and stared, speechless, at what awaited her. “Hey, uh, it’s not much, but I… um.” Trailing off, Emma held up the tray in her hands. “Breakfast?”

Disrupting her view of braless breasts in a too-tight tank, Regina refocused on the tray, and frowned. She cleared her throat, knowing she’d croak otherwise and lifted her gaze. “You cooked for me?”

Pale cheeks reddened. “Yeah, to, uh, thank you?”

Frown deepening, Regina repeated, “Thank me?”

“Yeah, you know, for yesterday?” Emma sighed. “Look, I know you’re doing all of this for your own reasons and it probably didn’t mean- yesterday was good, regardless of why, okay? So yeah, I cooked you breakfast.”

 _Yester- oh._

Raising her hand, Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. Family day; that’s what Emma was thanking her for. For a moment there, she was thoroughly confused. She’d just woken up, and then she’d been hit in the face by a pair of breasts she, for some largely obvious and glaring reason, desperately wished had _genuinely_ smacked her in the face.

Note to self, she thought wryly, stay away from Emma Swan before coffee.

For the time being, at least.

Later, when Emma stopped being impossible and wouldn’t punch her in the face if she dared to strip them both and wrap herself around Emma’s deliciously naked body, she’d make it a point to see Emma as much as possible before coffee.

“Thank you, Emma.” She breathed in and, speaking of coffee, her eyes fell back on the tray. She reached for the cup immediately and took a healthy swallow, groaning her pleasure. “You’re a goddess.”

Emma coughed to cover up what sounded like laughter, and grinned at her. “I think I like morning-you a little more than the other versions.”

Regina didn’t know whether to thank her or give her the middle finger, so she settled for taking another sip and stepped back, gesturing to the end of her bed. “If you set the food down there, I’ll get to the rest of it after my shower,” she said.

With a nod, Emma walked into her room and set it down. Regina watched her, a select few of the words Emma had spoken earlier, playing in her head. “I have a lot of reasons, you know,” she murmured, ignoring the voice in her head telling her to shut up. 

Sure, she’d made a game out of it, but that didn’t mean that was all it was. If pursuing Emma wasn’t fun for her, then it’d be frustrating, and who knew what she’d do or say then? She’d already almost screwed it all up. 

Hands clenching hard around the cup, she admitted, “Hard as you may find it to believe, I do genuinely like you.”

Emma turned around, a small smile curling her mouth. “I promise not to tease you for that later when you’re more awake.” Moving closer, she leaned in. “And I _genuinely like you_ too,” she said before brushing a kiss against her cheek.

Regina’s breath hitched, mind suddenly blank as Emma straightened. “Go have your shower,” she said. “I gotta go home and get ready for work, but I’ll see you for our lunch date.”

With a large and not at all smug grin, she turned and left the room while Regina stood, stunned, for what felt like minutes. She came back to herself eventually and downed what remained of her coffee before disappearing into her bathroom, muttering to herself about stupid blondes and their stupid lips.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last one was short, so here's an even shorter one.

Distracted with the crossword she decided to do after Regina called to tell her she’d be a few minutes late to their lunch, Emma wasn’t exactly paying attention to anything around her, which would explain how Mary Margaret managed to settle into the opposite side of the booth and order her lunch from Ruby before Emma could do anything about it.

All of which  _ could _ have been rectified politely, had she noticed before Regina swayed her hot self into the diner. As it were, the barely audible snarl of her roommate’s name startled her, as did her roommate’s presence when she finally glanced up in wonder at  _ why _ Regina was snarling the name to begin with.

“Miss Swan, had you told-”

“Nope,” she interrupted, standing suddenly. “Mary Margaret, I’d love to have lunch with you, but today is Regina’s day, so I’ll see you at home.” She snatched her crossword off the table with one hand and grabbed Regina’s wrist with the other, and dragged her over to another booth.

“And here I thought our days of manhandling each other were over.”

Dropping into the booth, Emma ignored her. “Sit down.” She beckoned Ruby over while pretending not to feel the death glare that was being levelled at her. “Rubes, the usual, plus a coffee as black as her-” She pointed to Regina. “-soul, and whatever else she wants.”

Another thirty seconds or so passed, silent and intense, before Regina sighed and sat down. “Chicken salad, Miss Lucas, preferably before I die of old age.”

One eye roll later, Emma placed her crossword off to the side and leaned back in her seat. “I didn’t know she was there.” A brow cocked and she explained, “Mary Margaret, I was too busy frustrating myself with this.” She tapped the crossword and shrugged. “Totally spaced out.”

Not one to apologize, or admit she’d been wrong and jumped to conclusions, Regina merely sniffed and said, “Yes, well.”

Emma smiled, having expected nothing less. “How’s work?”

Tension dropping her shoulders, Regina returned the smile. “Awful,” she replied. “The day I decided to be Mayor, I wish someone had hit me with their car.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Oh yes it can,” she countered. “You complain about the amount of paperwork you have to fill out; well double it and on top of it, add a constant stream of nazelly whiners occasionally interspersed with an egotistical nobody unworthy of the air he breathes, and you  _ might _ just barely understand the tedium that is my job.”

Emma’s stomach tightened. She bit her lip, equal parts turned on and amused. Her amusement only grew when Regina narrowed her eyes and leaned in, arms on the table. “Do you find my suffering humorous, Miss Swan?”

“No no,” she denied, waiting until Regina’s expression said she accepted it before she confessed, “You ranting about it, on the other hand.”

“Terrible,” Regina scoffed. “Why did I agree to have lunch with you, again?”

“If memory serves, you’re the one who suggested lunch in the first place.”

“I thought you’d be more appreciative,” Regina drawled. “Silly me.”

Mirroring her, Emma placed her arms on the table and leaned in. “I am.” She lowered her voice and added, “Almost as much as I am appreciative of that growl in your voice when you talk about your annoying, boring job.”

Their eyes met and held, until the clearing of a throat pulled their attention from each other. They jerked back and Ruby sat their lunches down. “Sheriff, Madam Mayor; can I get either of you anything else?”

“No,” Regina growled.

Emma grinned, that one word gathering heat in the pit of her stomach. “We’re good, Rubes, thanks.” She leaned back in when Ruby nodded and left. “Careful, Madam Mayor,” she teased. “I already find it difficult not to pounce on you in public.”

“You say that as though I should wait until we’re in private,” Regina murmured, taking a sip of her coffee.

Her grin widening, Emma waited until she saw the swallow before she replied, “Maybe you should.”

Regina choked anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't think there'd be a lot of dialogue considering the start. Boy was I wrong.

Emma Swan was going to be the death of her; Regina was sure of it. Their lunch date was two days ago, and she was _still_ thinking about what Emma had said. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been alone together since, which may or may not have been a coincidence. She enjoyed the thought of Emma being unable to handle being alone with her, but considering these last two weeks, she doubted that was the case.

Emma could resist her. She’d proven herself many times since her confession on Regina’s front porch. Worse, Emma could apparently resist _and_ tease her while doing so.

Lunch hadn’t ended at the implication that Emma could pounce on her at any time. No, that would have been far too merciful. Emma Swan was a menace, who proceeded to spend their hour together challenging Regina’s own ability to resist temptation by injecting innuendos into their conversations and implying all sorts of things for Regina’s poor, overworked brain to run away with.

Even if she could handle all of that with no problem at all, add to it the fact Emma had kissed her earlier that morning and her brain had been in meltdown mode ever since. Anyone else, she’d have dragged to her bed and had her way with them before she potentially murdered them for putting her through such torture. Could she do that to Emma Swan? No. Not only did they share a son who wouldn’t be too happy with her if she killed his other mother, but she actually liked the woman.

She never liked _anyone_ . People were annoying inconveniences she occasionally had to tolerate as a part of life and when she _didn’t_ have to tolerate them, she could pretend they didn’t exist. 

The world- her world, often consisted of her herself and her son, and no one else.

Until Emma _I-drive-around-in-a-yellow-tincan_ Swan.

The woman barged into her town as if she had that right, demanded time with their son and drove Regina insane at every possible turn. She demanded attention, not with her words or even her actions, but with her existence. Regina didn’t just _tolerate_ her, she acknowledged her, and then she went and did the unthinkable by falling for her.

Why?

That was the question. Yes, Emma Swan was attractive. She was also brash, uncouth and clumsy. She was annoying to a degree that would often enrage Regina. She was good, kind and sweet; the absolute worst things she could be in the eyes of an evil queen. 

She was also sneaky, which Regina- and the Queen, especially -appreciated. She could be smug, but not so smug that she came off arrogant, unlike Regina herself. She stood up for herself- she stood up _to_ Regina on more than one occasion…

Okay, so maybe _why_ wasn’t such a mystery.

Anyone who stood up to her had to be worth something. She wasn’t entirely sure it should be her own restraint and affection, but, well, _something_ had made her subconscious think otherwise.

“Enough,” she murmured, head shaking. She was going to beat Emma to it and drive _herself_ insane if she didn’t stop.

Just in time too, as her front door opened and voices sounded from her foyer. 

Sighing, she stared at the glass of wine in her hand, debating whether or not to go out there, and evidently taking too long.

“Missed you at lunch.”

Frowning, she turned her head at the voice. Unless they had a psychic conversation she’d completely erased from her mind, they’d had no plans to meet for lunch. It was Wednesday. “You said Monday and Friday.”

“No, I know.” Emma grinned. “I just meant it would have been nice to have you there.”

Well. That was… nice. “You could invite me, you know.”

The grin became one of those lopsided ones Regina loathed to find _charming_ , but they were, and she did. “Honestly didn’t occur to me until I was back at work.”

“Get lost in another crossword puzzle?”

Leaning against the door frame, Emma shook her head. “Nope. It was Sudoku this time.”

Chuckling, Regina asked, “How did I never notice you walk around with a puzzle book?”

“Tucks into my jacket- also, you’re usually too busy staring at my lips or ass.”

Face blank, she drawled, “I can’t help that my eyes have taste.”

“Nice.”

“Thank you.”

Silence; brief, comfortable. Emma’s face softened. “We had fun,” she said, thumb flicking over her shoulder. “He promised he’d do his homework before bed.”

“Good.”

“So.” Straightening, the grin returned. “No evil plans, huh?”

The tone playful, Regina decided not to be offended and raised her brow instead. “Disappointed?”

Tucking her hands into her jacket, Emma shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t complain if you decided to be a little evil every now and then.”

Lids fluttering shut, Regina quietly groaned. Teasing. She was being teased. _Again_. She should have locked the door. “Get out of my house.”

“Okay.” Her eyes snapped open as Emma turned to leave. She wasn't being _serious_. Mostly. “See you tomorrow.”

 _Wait. What._ “What, why?”

Emma turned back. “Picking up Henry from your office?”

“Oh, right.” He had an early day for- some reason. Probably something asinine.

“You sure you’re okay with three days in a row?”

Again, Regina frowned. Why wouldn’t she be? Especially considering she worked for most of the hours they were together and it was a far better use of Henry’s time than having him stuck, bored, at her office until she was done.

”You gave me the weekend,” she reminded her.

“Not sure I _gave_ it, exactly, but you did share it, so...”

Why. Why were they having this conversation? “It’s fine, Miss Swan.”

“Okay. Cool. I guess I’ll, uh-”

Realization struck her then; Emma didn’t want to leave. Regina bit at the inside of her cheek to stifle her grin. “Would you like to stay awhile?”

Lower lip disappearing between teeth, pale cheeks turned pink. _Adorable_. “I mean, I feel like maybe I should say no, but… yes?”

“If you leave before Henry goes to bed," Regina suggested, "I’m sure we can handle ourselves, hmm?”

“Yeah.” Awkwardly, Emma gave her a thumbs up. “Good idea.”

Regina laughed, suddenly glad she _hadn’t_ locked the door. She teased, “I’m full of those.”

“I bet.”

Muttered beneath her breath, Regina assumed she wasn’t supposed to hear it, but she did. She laughed again, her inner self purring when the glare came her way.

Perhaps driving each other insane wouldn't be so bad after all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad day, guys. Super headache. Hopefully this isn't too terrible, but I think I'll wait on starting the next chapter until my head stops pounding.

Emma Swan was fucked. Sincerely and thoroughly. Technically would be nice, but no. She shook her head. She was not going there, not again. Regina had inserted herself into Emma’s thoughts often enough as it were. Emma was putting her foot down. Figuratively, though; she couldn’t really be bothered to move. She’d had a tough day; dogs running rampant, cats stuck up trees, Leroy on his third bender of the week.

Laying on the couch in the small apartment she shared with Mary Margaret, she’d decided it was where she belonged. Her legs agreed with her wholeheartedly and whoever it was knocking at the door could go to Hell as far as she was concerned.

As far as the rest of the world was concerned? She forgot to send out the memo. She also forgot that Mary Margaret was home.

“So this is why I had to frighten your roommate.”

Emma tilted her head back to peer up at the owner of the voice. After last time, Regina appearing at the apartment no longer surprised her. Since then, she’d learned Regina would do a number of things she wouldn’t usually do in order to torment her. “Worth it,” she said.

Regina smirked. “Rough day?” Emma nodded. “I heard about the tree.”

Grimacing, Emma pouted and turned her attention back to the tv. She didn’t want to talk about it. Not only was her pride seriously wounded, her butt had been hurting ever since she fell. Stupid branch breaking. Stupid cat climbing a tree and not being smart enough to realize it could get down the same way, and stupid, sweet old ladies and their stupid guilt-inducing faces.

Stupid conscience.

“Shall I go?”

Frowning, she tipped her head back again. She’d expected teasing of some kind, not the disappointed frown staring back at her. She sat up then, wincing as it put pressure on her backside. “No,” she said, shifting to relieve the pressure and free up a cushion. “I mean, you can if you want to, but I don’t- want you to, I mean -and, uh, I imagine you had a reason for coming here?”

“I did,” Regina admitted slowly. Taking a seat, she continued, “Hence the mention of the tree. Are you alright?”

“Oh.” She cared. That was… somewhat unexpected “No, not really,” Emma replied truthfully. “Pride’s wounded, among other things.”

Regina smiled faintly. “Ms Taylor mentioned the other thing. I brought you something that might help.”

“You did?” She didn’t mean to sound surprised but, well, who wouldn’t be in her position? Regina Mills not only cared but she wanted to help. Talk about entering another dimension. “I mean…” She noted the raised brow and hung her head. _Hello hole_. “Regina, I’m-”

“Going to start rambling if I don’t take away the shovel,” she interrupted playfully. “Yes, I noticed.”

Green eyes rolled, but yes, pretty much. Emma raised her head, pride left behind in the backyard of a sweet old lady. She pleaded, “Please put me out of my misery.”

“Not ordinarily how I handle things,” Regina murmured, “but I suppose I can make an exception this once.”

Removing the purse from her shoulder, she stuck her hand inside and retrieved what looked to be a packet of white powder. Emma eyed it suspiciously and asked, “Am I going to have to arrest you?”

“Not today.” Regina smirked. She stood up and disappeared into the kitchen without another word, returning a moment later with a glass of, what Emma could only assume was drugged, water in hand. “Here.”

Hesitantly accepting the glass, Emma peered into it. “Seriously, you know that stuff looked like cocaine, right?”

“It tastes like strawberries.”

“For all I know, that’s what cocaine tastes like,” she retorted before shrugging and taking a sip. Her eyes closed. It really did taste like strawberries. “Okay, if it is cocaine, I can see the appeal.”

A laugh and a swat of a hand to her thigh made her grin. She opened her eyes and turned her head. “Thank you,” she said as she met warm brown eyes. “Is it a painkiller?”

“Something like that.”

Okay. Mysterious it was. “Does it work?”

A shoulder rose half-heartedly. “Assuming you didn’t break anything, it should.”

“Cool.” She considered the question on the tip of her tongue, then figured; what the hell. “Are mysterious powders something I should get used to, too?”

“You can be rather clumsy,” Regina drawled, mouth quirked. Emma huffed. “If you need them, then yes… assuming you haven’t pissed me off recently.”

Emma nodded. That seemed fair. “Have you ever given them to Henry?”

“Worried I’m trying to poison you?”

“Well I _wasn’t_ before.”

Another laugh but Regina grabbed her thigh rather than hit her again, and squeezed. “He prefers I add them to hot chocolate for the added flavour.”

Palm hot on her leg, Emma swallowed thickly. “Smart,” she croaked, looking down as fingers moved against her. It was comforting, but having Regina so close to a certain, desperate part of her anatomy didn’t seem like the greatest idea. “What are you doing?” 

“I had an overwhelming urge to touch you,” Regina answered honestly. “Would you like me to stop?”

No. Hell no, in fact. “You haven’t even kissed me yet and you’re already touching me?”

Dark eyes narrowed. “Is that a request?”

Yes. No. Emma sighed. She was absolutely fucked. “I don’t know.”

Regina patted her thigh, then stood. “Let me know when you do.”

Emma frowned. “You’re leaving?”

“I must, now that the thought is in my head.” Regina smiled at her pout. Shaking her head and laughing softly, she explained, “As entertaining as the last punch in the face was, I don’t particularly enjoy the thought of another.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“No?”

“I regretted that,” Emma confessed. She really had. Even thinking about it in that moment made her chest twinge with it. She’d tried damn hard not to lose her temper again, and succeeded. Mostly. “A lot.”

Another smile, but warmer. So much warmer. “As did I.”

“Well.” Regina was just full of surprises. Knowing the regret was mutual, though; Emma felt another restraint slip away. Rising from the couch, wincing, she ignored the sudden concern in brown eyes and asked, “Where’s the kid?”

“Sleepover.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it seems he’s back to being his normal, social self.”

“That’s great.” Maybe now their days together would be less about the evil queen and curse, and more about mother and son bonding over happier things.

“Mhmm.”

“Stay for a bit?” Henry was safe, they were getting along, and Mary Margaret had most likely vanished after answering the door and receiving the fright of a lifetime. “Let me cook dinner for you for once?”

“Your roommate?”

Emma grinned, amused she even cared. “Either already asleep or she snuck out when we weren’t looking.”

“Hmm.” Regina inclined her head after a moment. “Very well,” she said, the corner of her mouth rising. “Woo me with your skills, Miss Swan.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headache is easing off, but not entirely gone and these two are still being idiots.

Regina was never very fond of town meetings. It was the one place where the townsfolk developed a collective backbone, where they believed their ideas were important and their concerns were valid. All these meetings really were, were nothing more than a chance for them to whine about what were admittedly, given they were all cursed to be unhappy for all eternity, entirely insignificant grievances.

If not for the delightful distraction grinning up at her from the front row, she’d have ended the whole ordeal hours earlier. Three hours they’d all been going back and forth before she’d finally had enough. As appealing as being able to stare at Emma Swan for three hours was, she’d had to draw the line somewhere. If that somewhere just so happened to be before Snow White had her chance to speak, it was hardly her fault the woman had waited too long.

While the hall cleared out, she’d glanced down for the umpteenth time, and let herself grin. Emma shook her head at her, as though she were a disappointed parent, but her answering grin said all it needed to. Emma found her amusing, which was all that happened to matter in the moment.

“Sheriff,” she said as Emma climbed the stairs of the stage and came to sit beside her. Conscious of the fact they weren’t alone, she forced a modicum of professionalism into her voice, rather than the playful tone she prefered, and questioned, “Is there something I can help you with?”

Emma frowned at her, but with a look to the remaining bodies shuffling below them and a split-second of understanding, she rolled her eyes. “Just wondering if you’d like to join me for a late dinner and a drink at Granny’s.” She did nothing to moderate her voice, garnering them a few stares as she leaned in to add, “Remember the whole not giving a fuck? Still applies, Madam Mayor.”

Regina immediately relaxed. Truthfully, she hadn’t remembered. With everything that had happened between them since that particular revelation, some things were bound to slip her mind. “I would be delighted to join you, Miss Swan.”

The declaration came with even more stares. She paid them very little attention as she rose and left the hall, Emma close behind her when she stepped out into the chill night-time air, and paused, nose wrinkling with the cold.

“Is it too cold to walk?”

Regina raised a brow. Given how close they were to winter, the answer was an unequivocal _yes_. “Still sore?” Emma nodded and, sighing inwardly, Regina said, “Let me just retrieve my coat from the car.”

“We can drive if you want.”

“It’s fine.” It was absolutely not fine. They were both going to be popsicles by the time they reached the diner. Lifting her coat from the passenger seat, Regina quickly threw it on, locked her car, and sauntered away from the uncertain expression on her Sheriff’s beautiful, already pink from the cold, face. “Let’s not invite hypothermia by dawdling, dear.”

Emma caught up to her quickly enough. “You don’t have to-”

“I never have to,” Regina interjected. She really didn’t. It was unfortunate that possibly freezing to death rated lower on the list of things she wanted compared to causing Emma Swan pain but, alas, she would simply have to suck it up and deal. “If you’d be so kind as to distract me, perhaps I’ll more easily ignore the inviting call of heated seats.”

Snorting, Emma moved in close enough for their shoulders to brush. It wasn’t quite what Regina was expecting, but she certainly wasn’t about to complain. “It’s not _that_ cold.” More than happy to prove her wrong, she raised her hand without looking and brushed her fingers against a soft cheek. Emma hissed and jerked back. “Jesus fuck...”

Even more unexpectedly, Emma grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers. Regina nearly moaned at the warmth radiating from her skin. She sighed instead, because of course; opposites even in something as mundane as how well their bodies regulated temperature.

If she wasn’t looking forward to having Emma in her bed and having something to wrap her body around already, that would have done it.

Still, she couldn’t let the opportunity to tease pass. “Miss Swan, I had no idea.”

Emma snorted a laugh. “The lies,” she replied. Regina sensed the mock glare as Emma then turned to look at her. “Stick your other hand in your pocket, and shut up.”

Laughing loudly, Regina did as she was told.

The fifteen minutes passed in a haze of warm hands that, by the time they walked into the diner, had transferred to the rest of Regina’s body. She nudged Emma over to her preferred booth before retrieving her phone and sending a text to Kathyrn.

“Bored with me already?”

Eyes rolling, she stuffed the phone back into her pocket. “Merely informing the babysitter of my change in plans,” she explained, glancing across the table. Seeing the usual grin as Emma sat forward, elbows on the table and chin in her hands, she shook her head and teased, “Who knew the Sheriff was so needy.”

“Literally anyone who knows me,” Emma countered just as Granny appeared to take their order. She beamed. “Hey Gran, where’s Rubes?”

The woman grunted. “Off gallivanting with that boy mechanic, most likely.”

“Aww, come on Gran, Billy is cute and has a job; win win.”

Two orders, one snort and another eye roll later, and they were alone again. Emma continued to grin. “Isn’t she great?”

“The greatest,” Regina murmured. 

She wasn’t entirely paying attention, but she had nothing against the older woman. At least nothing she needed to hold against the woman’s current incarnation. Granny was a grumpy, sarcastic old woman merely trying to earn a living while being driven mad by an unruly granddaughter. The werewolves she and her granddaughter really were; not so great and a different matter entirely.

“You really are bored of me, huh.”

Blinking back to green eyes boring into what felt like her very soul, Regina frowned. “What?”

“I ask how you are and you’re off in lala land.” Emma sniffed, poorly feigning upset. “To think I mattered.”

“Needy and dramatic,” Regina drawled. “Winning combination.”

Grin shifting to one side, charming and impossible as always, Emma replied, “I figured you needed to see what you were getting yourself into.” Lashes fluttering not so innocently, she added, “I am so going to annoy the ever loving hell out of you.”

Despite wanting to laugh, Regina forced her expression to remain blank and questioned, “And that would be different from usual, how?”

Emma gave a sharp, playful gasp. “So mean.” She pouted. “Why you so mean, Regina?”

Letting her amusement shine through, Regina lowered her voice and, just as playfully, said, “Because you _like_ it.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me. Forgot something.

While there was very little wooing going on, Emma still felt like she was being wooed. She wasn’t at all ashamed to admit that it was working too. Although their lunches had remained at only twice a week, she’d had dinner with Regina, and sometimes Henry, at least twelve times in the last month alone.

Two months after that fateful day in the station and she was starting to look like a liar. Game or not, the fact that Regina could be so patient and sweet with her was- well, there was no point in lying to herself; it was an undeniable turn on. She hadn’t expected Regina to last a week, never mind two months. It made her think that maybe going along with it all and actually giving them both what they really wanted wouldn’t be the colossal mistake she assumed it would be.

That wasn’t to say she didn’t still have doubts. The fact it had started as a game, and still very well might be a game to Regina, was cause for concern, even if it was a lot less concern than it maybe should have been.

What if she gave in, Regina got what she wanted, and then that was it? She couldn’t go back to the way things were, couldn’t go back to pretending she hated the mother of her son. She probably would, genuinely, if that was what happened, but it would tear her apart to feel that way.

Regina may be playing a game, but it couldn’t all be pretend. Somewhere behind the stoic expression of that hardass Mayor existed a woman capable of kindness, of being nice and sweet. The seductive, somewhat manipulative and cunning woman that appeared during their teasing from time to time was expected, and as welcomed as every other version of the woman, but the one who cared? Who showed up at her apartment with suspicious pain relieving powders? Who took a fifteen minute walk with her in the freezing cold so she wouldn’t hurt herself further? That woman existed, even if she hid most of the time, she was there waiting in the wings and she, of all the versions Regina held within herself, appealed to Emma the most.

Reaching for her phone when it rang, eyes still closed, Emma brought it to her ear. “Miss Swan.” She smiled at the voice. “It has been brought to my attention that my Sheriff has gone and injured herself again.”

Emma hummed. It wasn’t on purpose like Regina seemed to imply, but yes. She was prone to accidents and had accepted the fact long ago. “Twisted my ankle,” she admitted. “Pongo really didn’t want to be caught today.”

A snort sounded from the other end. “And which incompetent member of the public have you appointed to fill in for you?”

“No one.” She’d considered it, but dismissed the idea just as quickly. “It’s not like I broke it, I can still do my job.”

“Absolutely not.”

The reaction was expected, but she smiled all the same. “Reg-”

“You are injured,” Regina interrupted her protest, a hardness to her tone as she continued, “You will not risk making it worse by continuing to work. You will appoint someone to replace you, or I will appoint someone for you.”

The demand, the tone, the threat; they all coalesced to form the budding warmth that grew in Emma’s stomach. Regina cared again, and she was more than happy to pull out the bossy, bitch of a Mayor if it meant Emma would listen to her. 

Rubbing her stomach, Emma bit back a groan and conceded, “Fine.”

“Really?”

Emma smirked, relishing the clear surprise in her tone. “What?” She teased, fingers curling over her own hip as she hugged herself. “Too easy?”

“Well, yes.”

“You care,” she reasoned.

“Yes?”

Feeling herself sink deeper into the cushions beneath her, Emma sighed softly, charmed by the obvious confusion. “I don’t want to fight with you,” she murmured, “about something that’s not even all that important when you’re being sweet.”

She heard the hitch of a breath, as clear as if Regina were laying right beside her. She enjoyed the image that entered her mind, smiling and letting it distract her until a soft growl pulled her back to the present.

“How dare you.”

Her smile widened. “The sweetest.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

Back to rubbing her stomach, Emma pretended not to hear her and cooed, “So wonderful and kind, and  _ sweet _ .”

“I was going to bring you some more powder-” Regina said, sniffing, tone as haughty as tone could be, “-but if you’re just going to insult me, you can forget it.”

Though she couldn’t see it, Emma still jutted out her lower lip. She’d been hoping Regina would come and see her again. “Does that mean you’re not going to come and kiss my booboo all better?”

Silence. She almost cracked. Messing with Regina was great.

“You didn’t happen to find any drugs in the evidence locker…”

She laughed then. “No, but teasing you is pretty addictive,” she admitted. “It might even be illegal.”

“Keep it up and I’ll make being an idiot illegal.”

“Uh huh.” A huff told her it was time to stop. She softened her voice, taking the moment seriously, and asked, “You coming?”

“I…” More silence, and then a world weary sigh. “Yes, I’ll be there shortly.”

“Good.”

“Yes. Well.” Regina cleared her throat and said, “See you soon.”

“Can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so absentminded.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this to be longer but, alas, there are certain scenes that frustrate me no end to write and I gave up forcing myself to try.

Reaching the apartment, poised to knock and let herself in, Regina glared when the door swung open. Emma was supposed to be off her feet, resting, not up answering the damn door. She would have said as much, were it not for the hint of pink in normally pale cheeks.

“I know, I know.” Emma waved away her glare and shuffled out of the way, letting her in. “Heard your car and stupidly couldn’t help myself.”

Regina felt her mouth twitch. Knowing Emma had been eager enough to see her to potentially risk further injury was- still not okay, to be perfectly honest. “Next time, resist harder.”

“At all, you mean.” Emma charmed her with one of those grins before she could muster another glare. “I’m okay,” she assured her. “Like I said on the phone, I only twisted it. Maybe a mild sprain, nothing more.”

The assurance failed miserably. “Maybe a mild sprain?” Regina repeated. Of all the things she _could_ have said to put her at ease, she went with the idiot option. “You mean to tell me you haven’t seen a doctor?” Emma’s entire body seemed to deflate. “Miss-”

“Regina,” she whined. Literally whined. Regina huffed. “I don’t like doctors, okay? And believe it or not, I’ve been through this enough times to know if it’s serious enough to get over myself to go and see one, so can we maybe stop acting like this is a big deal?”

Blinking, processing, Regina scowled. _Not_ a big deal. Honestly, how stupid was this woman? Shrugging off her coat, Regina tossed it in the direction of the dining room table. Ignoring the soft gasp that left Emma’s lips, she then wrapped her arm around Emma’s waist and guided her over to the couch.

Once she was settled, Regina glared down at her. “Move again and seeing a doctor will be the least of your concern,” she threatened and turned on her heel. 

She marched over to her coat, retrieved a small packet of powder and retreated to the kitchen for a glass of water. On her return, she found Emma on her back with her eyes closed, hands folded over her stomach. 

Regina softened a little. Emma wasn’t smiling, but she didn’t appear particularly upset either. She looked rather peaceful for someone whose life was just threatened.

Did that count as being mean, or would Emma insist she’d threatened her because she cared, and then accuse her of being _sweet_ again?

The thought made Regina grimace. “Here,” she sniped, brow furrowing when Emma simply raised her hand and accepted the glass, eyes still closed.

After another beat, Emma shifted. Swinging a leg over the back of the couch, she dropped her other foot to the ground and made room between her legs. Somewhere to sit, Regina realized. 

Pulse skipping- racing, she sat, and stared longingly. Could the position be any more perfect? Her breathing turned shallow as the next few minutes played on in her mind. She could picture them clearly; smoothly slipping between Emma’s legs, one hand burrowing between the couch and Emma’s side as she wriggled the other beneath her and brought their bodies together.

Her body warmed with her thoughts, face growing hot as she imagined burying her face in the crook of Emma’s neck, lips lightly brushing against a thudding pulse before she parted them and-

“Are you going to go through with the thought in your eyes, or are you just going to keep staring at me?”

Voice snapping her back to reality, she sucked in a breath. _Dear god_ , how much longer was she expected to restrain herself? Two months she’d been resisting. This wasn’t even the worst way Emma had tempted her, but the amount of temptations piled on top of one another had been growing at an exponential rate lately.

“Well?”

Swallowing down the lump building in her throat, she croaked, “Well, what?”

Reaching over and placing her glass on the coffee table, Emma rose to her elbows, brow raised. “I know you were thinking about me,” she said, and at Regina’s silence, she pouted. “I’m laying here all vulnerable and helpless, and you’re just going to sit there?”

“You think I’d take advantage?” Regina interrupted as she reared back, horror intermingling with the sudden anger and lust in her voice. “Who do you-”

She gasped as Emma abruptly jerked forward and gripped the front of her blouse. “Stop,” she breathed, tugging. “I don’t think that,” she said, “I _want_ that.”

Groaning, Regina’s anger evaporated. She swayed forward, her own want eclipsing everything else. Months she’d tried to get Emma to lose her control and all it took Emma was a single word. Regina was _tired_. She was _done_ , her ability to resist; gone. Her patience; nonexistent. 

Emma wanted it, so Emma would get it. 

With another groan, part desire and part exasperation, Regina pounced, surging forward and claiming the mouth that had taunted her for far longer than she was willing to admit. The hand gripping her shirt pulled and the next thing she knew, she was right where she wanted to be; on top and drowning in the taste, feel, scent and sound of Emma Swan as Emma kissed her back.

It was messy and uncoordinated, rushed. Their noses bumped and their teeth clashed but the heat Regina felt beneath her skin boiled all the same. They found their rhythm in moments, moaning as their tongues tasted, danced and explored together. Regina kissed with everything she felt and Emma responded to her more wonderfully than she could have ever imagined.

The hand at her chest flattened and descended, skimming her breast before sliding around to her back where a second hand joined it in stroking the length of her spine. She palmed Emma’s cheek with one of her own and thrust the other beneath her, arching when Emma arched and groaning into a hot, wet mouth as their breasts thrust together.

When air became something to consider, Regina reluctantly pulled back. Emma stopped her from going too far, clasping the back of her neck. “I’m not done with you,” she husked, drawing a throated chuckle from deep within Regina’s chest.

Despite the words that had started them down this path, she’d half-expected Emma to push her away. Comparatively, Regina much preferred being trapped until Emma had her fill. “If I didn’t need to breathe,” she purred, “I sincerely doubt I’d have stopped at all.”

Dark, green eyes darkened further before Emma tugged again and they were kissing once more.


	14. Chapter 14

Emma was ready to go all in, and she’d been stupid enough to tell Regina so, because Regina refused to sleep with her until her ankle had healed. Emma wasn’t sure what sort of naked gymnastics awaited her when it did, but when her ankle still hurt a week later, Regina forced her to see Whale, who informed her she had a grade 2 ankle sprain. 

He also informed her that she’d be out of commission for another three weeks, at least.

Regina was pissed.

A full forty-eight hours passed after the hospital visit before Emma heard from her again. Regina stormed into the apartment like a woman on a mission, scaring the life out of Mary Margaret in the process. For the first time since Emma had known her, she’d been genuinely, albeit briefly, terrified, and then she’d been kissed, right there in the kitchen where she leaned against the counter, oatmeal clinging to her lip and a roommate watching on with something akin to awe-filled horror on her face.

Regina waited until she was dazed and weak at the knees to start yelling at her. Emma tried to apologize- to protest, but every time she opened her mouth resulted in more kisses that felt as though they’d stolen her breath and given it to Regina to yell at her some more.

She eventually conceded. Setting her breakfast down beside her, Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and accepted every demeaning word, along with all the kisses that followed them. It was a while before Regina ran out of steam, though Emma wasn’t surprised, or as upset as she probably should have been considering some of the insults that were thrown at her.

To tell the truth, the number of ways Regina had to call her an idiot was actually kind of impressive. The fact Regina was being both mean and sweet at the same time, however, went a pretty long way in mollifying any sort of feeling Emma had that wasn’t unadulterated want.

Mary Margaret fled around the time words had died down and all that was left were long, languid kisses. Emma wouldn’t have known had she not moaned during one such kiss and been horrified enough to check if they still had an audience.

The relief she was certain appeared on her face when she realized they were alone had Regina breaking out in laughter. “She left as soon as I voiced the fact I was starting to question my sanity in wanting to be with you, let alone fuck you.”

Sex throbbing even harder than it had the first time Regina had said that word, Emma whimpered. She closed her eyes and inwardly pleaded with her body to _stop_. A kiss to her jaw had her lids fluttering, eyes snapping open when teeth followed, grazing skin before sinking in and pulling a moan from her throat.

“You’re lucky you’re injured.” Licking over the mark she’d no doubt left behind, Regina then tugged at an ear with teeth. “It’s the only thing that stopped me from coming equipped to fuck you bent over this counter,” she murmured, chuckling deeply when Emma moaned yet again. “I’m glad to hear you appreciate the thought as much as I do.”

“I do,” Emma breathed, tipping her head forward to gaze into darkened eyes. “Though how the fuck you consider that lucky is beyond me.”

Bringing attention to where her hands were as she curled her fingers beneath Emma’s shirt, Regina smirked. “It’s lucky-” she said, nails digging into flesh and slowly, torturously, trailing down towards the waistband of Emma’s boxer shorts. “-because you’d need a lot longer than three weeks to recover.”

At her breaking point, Emma asked, “When are you leaving?”

Regina frowned and pulled away. “Right now, if you wish.”

Emma gripped the counter, as it was all that was holding her up. “If you’re still intent on us waiting,” she said, “I don’t think my wish counts.”

A brow rose and Regina pressed back against her. Voice low, she purred, “And if I leave?”

Emma breathed in deeply. If Regina left, then she could hobble her way back upstairs, drop onto her bed, and fuck herself senseless. Maybe she’d finally get some use out of that vibrator in the back of her closet now that she was done pretending all the thoughts and dreams of Regina weren’t driving her mental.

“Then I can fulfill it myself.”

There was a thoughtful hum before Regina pulled away again. Her wrist was grabbed and before Emma could question what was happening, she was limping along as Regina dragged over to the couch and practically tossed her down onto it.

Left with little choice when Regina then straddled her thighs, Emma laid back. Regina grinned down at her. “Go on then.”

“Uh.” What?

“Shy?”

Emma shook her head. She just wasn’t sure. Did Regina want what she thought Regina wanted? She might not be shy, but if she misunderstood, she’d sure as fuck be embarassed. “Not particularly,” she admitted.

Hands on either side of her head, Regina bent down and nipped at her jaw. “Then what’s the problem?”

Emma closed her eyes as more nips were dotted along her skin. “A little confirmation of what you want me to do wouldn’t go amiss.”

Another hum. “You’re turned on, yes?”

“Yes.”

Regina actually _bit_ her chin. Emma whimpered. “Your intention was to touch yourself if I left?”

“Uh huh.”

A low chuckle warmed her ear. “I’m not leaving.”

“I noticed,” she murmured.

“I want to watch.”

Her whole body clenched, including her ankle. She flinched, but she refused to let the pain distract her from the conversation. “Is this an attempt to torture me again,” she questioned, eyes narrowing as Regina raised her head. “Because if so, you should know that I sincerely have no problem touching myself while you watch.”

Regina gazed at her a moment, almost as if she just _knew_ she was in pain, Fortunately, the borderline worried look didn't last long. “I am quite aware of your confidence,” she replied. "If you require assurance that I mean it...” Trailing a hand over her shoulder and down towards her chest, Regina palmed her breast and said, “Perhaps it would help you to know that if you weren’t injured, you’d already be naked and coming in my mouth?”

“Jesus.”

Grinning, Regina leaned in. “Touch yourself,” she demanded, silencing Emma's retort of _bossy_ with her hot mouth and talented tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotness incoming. Bear with me while I struggle to write the next scene. I know nothing says I have to write it, but I want to, it just takes me a while because I’m severely critical of my ability to write these types of scenes.
> 
> Also, your encouragement would be appreciated, but won’t at all be taken into account while I write. You could claim me a god of writing smut and my brain would assume you were all high on crack. My inability to take praise/compliments well is an unfortunate part of who I am, but there will be a delay, which is the only reason for this message.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely sure how I feel about this. I think the pace is terrible, but I generally always find something wrong with these scenes, and people seem to like them anyway, so what would I know? I am going to confess it didn't actually take me this long to write this chapter. I forgot Wastelanders for Fallout 76 was coming out this month, then it arrived and it's, extremely surprisingly, pretty damn good, so I got distracted. Again. Sorry, but only kind of?
> 
> NSFW, obviously, although most of you shouldn't be working anyway. Maybe someone will read this after we've all survived the modern day plague, who knows.

Not a moment of her day was planned. Regina woke at 5 am, intent on spending another day avoiding Emma. She’d dropped Henry at school, saw Pongo and Archie out for their walk, and pulled a u-turn as soon as she hit Mifflin Street. Emma’s negligence when it came to her own health _infuriated_ her. She couldn’t be with someone who didn’t care about themselves. She’d already spent half of her life mourning one lover who’d been taken from her, she wasn’t going to spend the rest of it mourning a second just because Emma was the type of idiot to avoid doctors when she was hurt.

All she had to do was convince Emma to never dismiss her injuries again. How hard could _that_ be?

Emma’s stupidity was clearly rubbing off on her. All she had _wanted_ to do when she saw Emma eating oatmeal in her too-tight tank and skimpy little boxer shorts, was bend her over the kitchen counter, rip said shorts down, and see what sounds she could pull out of her.

Fortunately for them both, and Mary Margaret especially, kissing Emma did something wonderful to her. It calmed her, filled her with an indescribable warmth. Stood there in the kitchen with Emma’s arms around her, and little by little, her anger had abated. All that remained in the end was lust and upon hearing Emma’s own plans for the day, Regina decided her due. If she was to spend the rest of their lives worrying about her, then Emma would pay her back; in flesh.

Warm, soft, naked flesh.

Humming, breaking their most recent kiss, Regina peered between them. She’d felt Emma’s hand move on her stomach a few seconds earlier and grown curious. Seeing that Emma’s fingers hadn’t quite made it into her shorts, she raised a brow. “Waiting for something, dear?”

Head shaking, Emma replied, “I just- I want to enjoy the moment.”

“And I want to enjoy the slick heat between your thighs on my tongue-” Regina drawled, nipping her lower lip. “-but we can’t all have what we want.”

“You could.”

“I will,” she stated confidently. She waited for the slightest hint of hope to appear on Emma’s face before dashing it. “In three weeks.”

Emma scowled. “Why? You’ll watch me masturbate, but you won’t touch me?”

“I am touching you.” To prove her point, she trailed her finger from Emma’s chin to the hollow of her throat.

Emma tipped her head back, eyes fluttering shut. “You know what I meant,” she half-grumbled, half-moaned.

Regina smiled and cupped her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you.” 

It wasn’t a complete lie. She _didn’t_ want to hurt her, but it was definitely more than that. She wanted to punish Emma for refusing to see a doctor when she should have, without punishing herself. She also wanted their relationship to be a little further along before they had sex; they _had_ only just started kissing.

“If I come, I could get hurt regardless.”

It was a good argument. Not good enough, but Regina would give her points for trying. “Yes,” she conceded, “but it won’t be _me_ causing it.”

Emma huffed. “Technically.”

“Technicalities matter, dearest.” Caressing her cheek, Regina sat up. She needed to get them back on track, so she lowered her voice and with a sly grin, said, “Now be a good girl and give me my show.”

Her grin widened when she realized that was all it would take; Emma moaned, a sound Regina was becoming rather enamoured with, and plunged a hand into her shorts. Regina watched and bit her lip as Emma bucked, making her stomach flutter and her core clench in pleasure.

Slipping her hands beneath Emma’s tank, she stroked all the way up towards her breasts, dragging her nails all the way back down. “Are you wet?”

Emma hissed and arched. “Yes,” she breathed.

Taking advantage, Regina pushed her tank up until she’d exposed her breasts. She sighed, content; they were as gorgeous as those damn tank-tops had advertised. Regina bent forward, firmly stroking a nipple with her tongue before she pulled it between her lips and into her mouth. 

“Oh god.” She hummed and cupped the opposite breast, grazing the nipple with the nail of her thumb as she nibbled and sucked at its twin. Emma groaned. “I’m not… not going to last if you k- keep doing that.”

Sucking harder, making her gasp and swear, Regina released the nipple with a pop and smirked. “I don’t want you to last, Em-ma.” She lowered her head beside Emma’s ear and purred, “I want you to come all over your hand.” Gripping the lobe between her teeth, she tugged. “And then,” she confessed, “I want a _taste_.”

Emma moaned and the movement beneath her shorts sped up. Regina grinned as she sat up and scooted forward, humming when that same movement brushed against her covered center, over and over again. It wouldn’t make her come, but the knowledge that she would remember the sensation later in the privacy of her bedroom did give her an idea.

Taking Emma’s breasts in each hand, she kneaded the supple flesh as she spoke. “When all this is over and I’ve had my taste, I’m going to leave-” She dismissed Emma’s whine with an even wider grin and continued, “I’m going to leave you here, leave you to think about how this _could_ have gone, if only you’d been smart and seen a doctor when you should have...”

“Reg-”

“Hush,” she chided, tweaking a nipple. Emma whimpered but her lips clamped tight. “Good girl.” Caressing the nipple with the pad of her thumb, Regina went on. “While you’re thinking about that,” she said, “I will return home and make my way upstairs to my bedroom, where I will strip down and lay on my bed, legs spread so very wide…”

She bent down and laid a kiss against Emma’s jaw. “Pussy wet,” she whispered, “and wanting you but having to satisfy itself with my fingers because-” She raised her hips slightly, then thrust against Emma’s hand with every next word. “-you… were… so… very… stupid.” 

Emma cried out with the last and thrust back, hips flying up off the couch as she came. Feeling Emma buck and writhe beneath her, Regina hummed and rubbed against a cheek with nose and lips as her lust faded into the background and an unusual, intense affection took its place.

Lingering for minutes, listening to Emma’s breathing go from rapid and shallow to even and calm, Regina eventually drew herself up. With a gentle squeeze of breasts, she removed her hands, cupping a cheek with one and placing the other against Emma’s wrist.

She waited until Emma met her stare, then coaxed the hand from her shorts and brought it to her mouth. The scent that hit her nose, alone, was enough to make her mouth water, but wrapping her lips around the two glistening digits had her eyes slipping shut and a moan rumbling low in her throat.

Three weeks.

She would count the days, the hours, the _minutes_.

Sucking every last, sweet drop from Emma’s fingers, she slipped them from her mouth. Eyes opening, she gazed down at the semi-wide eyes and slack jaw that awaited, and grinned as she slowly stood. “19 days,” she purred, bending down to capture lips in a scorching kiss before she straightened to add, “Then you, and that sweet little pussy of yours, are all mine.”


	16. Chapter 16

Emma wasn’t naive, she expected things to change between them. It wasn’t every day she masturbated for the woman of her dreams, but it seemed logical that not everything would stay the same. The problem wasn’t that change had occurred, the problem was that it wasn’t at all what she expected.

Truthfully, it wasn’t actually a problem at all. 

Regina came to see her every day after, which was expected and not all that weird considering her previous behaviour. What was weird, but was something Emma definitely appreciated, was that she often stayed a lot longer than she used to. It wasn’t by just a couple of hours either. She’d arrive some time in the morning after she’d dropped Henry at school and, more often than not, still be around when Mary Margaret walked in the door.

Twice now, something extra weird had happened, which could become a problem; she’d stayed for dinner, and antagonized Mary Margaret. Emma wouldn’t ordinarily mind because that was Regina and whatever had happened between them was a problem she was more than happy to leave between them. During these dinners, however, she’d often catch herself having to physically stop herself from laughing because she didn’t want to hurt Mary Margaret’s feelings.

What was the absolute worst thing, but which was also potentially the best thing, was after. When Henry was conked out on her bed upstairs and they were downstairs together, alone, Regina made her feel… everything. It was always something small too; like the first time Regina fell asleep while they watched tv.

Regina was letting her in and Emma was ecstatic, but also kind of terrified. It’s what she wanted- it’s what she’d always wanted. She’d told Regina it wasn’t just about sex, and Regina had listened. She not only proved she cared, but she’d given Emma exactly what she wanted and, technically- because that mattered, apparently -, she’d taken nothing in return.

Logically, Emma knew Regina did get something in return and would most likely be taking her due in two week’s time when Emma was finally deemed to no longer be a total invalid, but in the meantime, she was getting everything she wanted without having to give anything back.

It was perfect, but also terrifying.

She wasn’t used to getting what she wanted. In fact, she was used to the complete opposite. Nothing ever turned out right for her. When things started to look good, something inevitably went horribly wrong. 

_The proverbial shoe dropping._

She sighed at her thoughts, accidentally disturbing the woman laying on top of her. Regina raised her head from Emma’s chest and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” _Yet_. Lifting her hand to a cheek, she stroked until the frown disappeared and a smile took its place. “Just thinking.”

Regina hummed and rose a little more to capture her mouth in a short, sweet kiss. “About?”

“You. Me,” Emma murmured against her lips. “This last week.”

“Too much?”

“The attention?” Regina nodded and Emma shook her head. “No.”

_Maybe._

“Can I ask you something?”

Settling back on top of her, Regina rested her chin on her chest and gazed at her as she replied, “Of course.”

 _Of course_. Emma smiled. “Don’t take this the wrong way because I’ve enjoyed every moment you’re here, but… shouldn’t you have spent more time at work?”

“Ordinarily, yes, but after Kathryn expressed an interest in my job,” Regina explained, “I decided to hand the reins over for a while.”

Emma stared blankly back at her. No one had said anything about a potential new Mayor. _Regina_ hadn’t said anything, until now. “Kathryn wants your job?”

Another hum. “I imagine she’ll change her mind after another week or two,” she said, “but until then, I’m happy to have the time off.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“Then I suppose there’ll be an election sometime in future.”

Emma huffed. The way Regina said everything so dismissively, like she didn’t care, was beginning to grate on her nerves. She’d have thought Regina would be angry that someone was after her job. “You don’t sound bothered.”

“I’m not.”

 _Oh_. More weirdness, then. Or maybe…

“Because you know you’ll win?”

Regina snorted, her whole face appearing to soften. “I adore you for that being your first thought, but no.” Once more, she rose to claim Emma's mouth in a longer, sweeter kiss, then returned to her position and confessed, “It’s because I don’t particularly care.”

“Oh.” That would explain the lack of anger. Taking a moment to think about it, Emma recalled their first lunch date. She’d thought Regina was joking, or just stressed at the time, but- “You were serious about regretting taking the position.”

“I stopped enjoying it around the time I adopted Henry.”

Emma smiled. Despite their son’s attempts to prove otherwise, it was clear to her any time Regina spoke of him that he was loved far more than she’d hoped for. Shifting the smile into a grin, she teased, “Had better things to do, huh?”

Regina smirked. “Simply put, yes.”

Emma nodded until one of, what she assumed would be, many realizations hit her. Then, she pouted. “No more Madam Mayor?”

A low, sexy chuckle was her first answer. Her second; an even sexier, drawled, “It hasn’t happened yet, but if it does, I’m sure you can find something else to call me.”

Her grin widened. “I already have some ideas.”

“Yes?”

“Oh yeah.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m pretty fond of sweetcheeks,” she said playfully, “what do you think?”

Dark eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “I _dare_ you.”

Emma laughed, loudly. This was going to be fun.


	17. Chapter 17

The front door slammed a little too forcefully. Thankfully, Regina could recognize when it was out of carelessness rather than anger. She remained in the kitchen where she was preparing dinner, listening for the rhythmic thump of a tired, potentially grumpy child. 

Henry appeared as she checked the pot on the stove, his bag solidly hitting the floor before his groan of relief filled the air. From the corner of her eye, Regina watched him stretch out his shoulders, a small smile curling her mouth. It had been a while since she’d last seen this routine, but when he was younger, it had been their everyday life after school. He would come home, bemoan the weight of his backpack and the books within, then shove himself, literally, into the fridge in search of whatever juice she’d made up for him earlier that morning.

He was a bit too big now, but he tried his best and emerged victorious, jug in hand. Regina smirked at the smug, triumphant expression he shot her. Sometimes, she’d move it all the way to the back, not only because it kept the juice cooler, but also to tease him; something he was more willing to tolerate in recent weeks. 

Slowly, but surely, the familiar was returning to the Mills household, and she knew Emma was to thank for it. Although she’d taken to spending most of her time at the loft, the few hours that were reserved for Emma and Henry three times a week remained. She knew Emma spoke to him. She wasn’t sure about what, exactly, but every single time they’d been together, Henry would return home different.

He didn’t seem so angry anymore, at least not with her. He had never mentioned the curse or the Evil Queen to her, but she used to be able to see the accusations in his eyes. They weren’t entirely absent, but the frequency with which she’d see them had waned significantly since she started being nice to Emma.

“Mom!”

Inhaling sharply through her nose, startled, she released the breath slowly and turned towards him. “Yes?”

Expression sheepish, he offered her a small smile before asking, “Is Ma better now?”

“Almost.” Emma was still limping, which was a concern, but not one she was going to share with their son. “She has a little pain, but she’s walking around more now.”

“So she can start coming to dinner here again?”

She tilted her head. The idea of Emma driving didn’t sit well with her, but the idea certainly appealed. Antagonizing Mary-Margaret was fun and all, but it would be nice to have Emma all to herself for a night, or three, without wondering if the woman was going to interrupt them again in her search for a glass of water. “Do you not like having dinner at the loft?”

He shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“But?”

He hesitated, but all it took was a raised brow before he sighed. “But it’s weird.”

She frowned, and hoped. “In what way?”

“Mary Margaret is my teacher,” he said. “It’s weird having dinner with her sitting there, staring at me across the table.”

“Oh.” Relief, palpable, rushed through her and she released the breath she’d been holding. That definitely had not occurred to her as a possible reason. Emma was right; she was a pessimist.

“So?”

She cleared her throat and replied, “Unless your mother says otherwise, it shouldn’t be a problem.” There was plenty of time for her to go and pick Emma up and bring her back to the house before dinner was ready.

Retrieving her phone from the counter, she sent Emma a text asking her to dinner. She received an enthusiastic, immediate  _ yes _ in response, and smirked at the screen as she typed out the specifics, letting Emma know she would  _ not _ be driving and that she was to stay put until Regina was ready to come and get her.

“Mom?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you start inviting her to dinner?”

Lips pursing, she set the phone down. She knew the day would come that he’d ask. She’d thought it over countless times before she’d decided she would tell him the truth. “Because it was exhausting lying to myself.”

“What were you lying about?”

“I…” Love her? Yes. There was no mistaking that. Not after these last few weeks. No matter how much better their home life was though, Regina didn’t quite trust that would go over well with their son. Besides, she wasn’t going to admit it to him before Emma had the chance to hear it from her herself. “I don’t hate her.”

“Oh.”

Meeting his eyes, she expected surprise. Instead, she was faced with the thoughtful frown furrowing his brows. Curious, she asked, “What is it?”

He wrinkled his nose. “I think I knew that?”

“You did?”

“Yeah.” Shrugging, he explained, “I mean, you always seemed happier around her, even when she was making you mad. It was like you  _ liked _ fighting with her.”

“I did,” she confessed. Emma was  _ exciting _ after twenty-eight years of straight obedience and boredom.

He nodded. “I didn’t get it. I asked Emma once, she said it was a stupid adult thing and I shouldn’t worry about it,” he said, matter-of-fact.

She was the one surprised then, surprised that had actually worked for Emma. She, hesitantly, replied, “She’s right.”

“Okay.”

Well, she thought with a snort, it really was that easy. 

Checking dinner and seeing that it was almost finished, she came to stand beside him and glanced down at the homework he had in front of him. “Are you almost done?”

“Yeah, but I have maths again.” He looked up at her with a grin.

She chuckled. He wasn’t subtle at all. “Are we going to need Emma for that?”

“Uh huh.”

“I will retrieve her,  _ if _ you set the table.”

“I do that anyw-” She raised a brow and almost laughed when realization dawned for him. He jumped up from his seat. “Deal,” he said during his mad dash for the dining room. “No take backs!”

Smirking, she reached across the counter for her phone and sent Emma another text;  _ Prepare yourself, dear, I’m coming for you. _

Her phone dinged as she left the kitchen and, looking down at the screen, she smiled, head shaking as she lifted her keys from their bowl and exited the house.

_ Yay! _


	18. Chapter 18

The door to 108 swung open to reveal a very impatient looking ten year old. Emma covered her face with her hand, leaning heavily on Regina, who squeezed her hip. She peeked through her fingers, trusting too easily, and was met by none other than the judgment and eerily familiar stare of their son. She sighed.

“I know, I’m an idiot.”

He shook his head. “Again?!”

“Henry.”

He flinched, but persisted. “Come on, Mom, she-”

“Can sometimes get overly excited, like a certain little boy I know,” Regina interrupted, one brow cocked. He opened and closed his mouth, retortless. She smirked. “Go back to the dining room, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He pouted, shoulders slouched as he turned on his heel and dragged himself away. Regina kissed her jaw, then nudged the same spot with the tip of her nose. Emma smiled, incapable of _not_ because it was so fucking cute. “Stop.”

“No,” Regina murmured and did it again. Emma chuckled. “I’m sorry he takes after me on occasion, I can see why you think I’m unbearable.”

Emma turned her head. She didn’t think that. Sure, Regina could be infuriating and bitchy from time to time, but really, those were things Emma _adored_ about her. Never, even when Regina was deliberately taunting her, did Emma consider her unbearable. “I don’t think that.”

Regina grinned and kissed her again, this time on the lips. “You’re very intelligent.”

“Keep lying,” Emma murmured against her mouth. “It’s turning me on.”

Another chuckle. Another kiss. “Good, because just so you’re aware, you haven’t ruined my plans for you.” More kisses. Longer kisses that left Emma breathless and wanting more. “Plans,” Regina purred, “which I’m certain with that big brain of yours, you may have already figured out.”

Emma went to reply when the hand on her hip moved to her ass and groped her suggestively. She choked as words, laughter and a moan all stuck in her throat at once. Pulling herself together, she coughed and just barely kept from whining her question. “I haven’t? Ruined your plans, I mean.”

Caressing her backside, Regina hummed. “Mmm, no.” She leaned in and nipped at Emma’s lower lip. “I have something for you that will help,” she said. “Assuming in your rush to get to me, you only irritated the ankle.”

Emma flushed. She had been in a rush, and definitely in _part_ to see Regina, but also to get away from Mary Margaret, who’d finally started to question her about what was going on between the two of them. Of course telling Regina that was out of the question, so Emma decided not to explain her perfectly valid reason for tripping over _nothing_ on her way out of the apartment, and stayed on topic.

“Is it more drugs?”

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes at her in that affectionate, _you’re-an-idiot_ kind of way she had. “The powder is not cocaine.”

“It might as well be,” Emma muttered as Regina led them towards the dining room, the wonderful, tempting hand back at her hip. 

It took a while to kick in, but every time she finished one of those drinks Regina would make for her, she’d experience a very mild, but noticeable, euphoric sensation; almost like she was high off weed actually, except there was no giggling and no gorging herself on food until it wore off.

It did make her unusually cuddly though, and not in the same horny way she was used to.

“Did it help?”

She frowned. That _was_ the main thing, she supposed. Though if it _was_ cocaine and Regina had been upfront about it for whatever reason, she’d probably refuse to take it regardless of how much it helped. “Yes?”

“Then shut up.”

She bit her lip to stifle her laugh, but her body still shook. Regina smacked her ass; a far more effective way of shutting her up, as it turned out. “I’ll give it to you after dinner.”

It lacked the suggestive tone Emma preferred, likely because they’d entered the dining room and their son was staring at them, but she couldn’t resist. “Promises, promises.”

As Regina helped her into a chair, she leaned in close and whispered in her ear, voice silky smooth and dripping in the exact suggestive way that Emma liked. “Behave, Miss Swan.”

Emma highly doubted she possessed the ability, but when Regina returned from the kitchen and Henry launched straight into telling them about his day, she tried her best.

She succeeded, mostly. At least during dinner, she managed to keep her hands to herself and her attention, for the most part, focused on their son while ensuring she didn’t spill food all over herself.

Afterwards, she helped Henry with his homework before movie time came around, at which point _not_ saying innuendo laden and inappropriate things in front of their son was the least of her concerns. Regina had sauntered into the den with a tube of something in one hand and a blanket and pillow in the other. As the opening credits to Hotel Transylvania played, she tossed the blanket and pillow to the ground, then shooed their son to the floor.

Henry went without complaint, an actual grin plastered on his face. Emma looked at them both in confusion, until Regina took his spot and demanded she lay down and _hand over_ her foot.

She snorted but with more of a clue about what was about to happen, she laid down as requested, smirking as Regina tucked a finger beneath her sock and smoothly slipped it from her foot as if she’d done it a thousand times before. She wiggled her toes and practically melted when Regina wrapped her hand around them, her other hand brushing the length of her calf as Regina carefully pushed the leg of her jeans up and uncovered her ankle.

“This may feel strange. You’ll feel mostly heat,” she explained before, with a glance to their son curled up on the floor, she grinned and said, “though _someone_ who’s almost as prone to accidents as you are tells me it also tingles.”

His head popped up. “It _does_ tingle.”

“Whatever you say, son.”

Emma chuckled at his glare as he insisted, “It does!”

With a playful roll of her eyes, Regina said, “Watch your movie, you little monkey.”

“Hmph.”

As his head dropped back to his pillow, Emma turned her attention back to his mother. The cream sounded kind of familiar. It took her a minute to place it. “You mean it’s like that deep heat stuff people use for muscle aches?”

“Mmm, though without the smell.”

“What’s it smell like?” Regina flicked open the tube and handed it to her. Emma took a whiff, and frowned. “Apples?” Passing it back, she teased, “You have a weird fruit fetish?”

“What’s weird about it?” Regina smirked. Shrugging, she replied, “Fruit smells good and it tastes delicious.”

Emma raised a brow. “Ever tried feijoas?”

“No?”

“Didn’t think so.” She liked fruit, but there was a line. Feijoas, in her opinion, were almost as disgusting as lemons. “Not all fruit is delicious, some is gross and should be drowned in fire.”

As she slowly began to spread the cream over Emma’s ankle, Regina chuckled lowly and replied, “That can be said about most things... even people.”

“Okay, Hannibal.”

A wry grin shaped her mouth. “I didn’t say anything about eating them.”

Knowing an innuendo when she heard one, Emma’s mind gladly joined Regina’s in the gutter. She lowered her voice, lips pouted just a little as she questioned, “You don’t like eating people?”

“Well,” Regina drawled, grin becoming more cheshire by the second. “I can think of an exception that I _might_ enjoy.”

Heat low in her belly matched the one spreading through her ankle. Emma chuckled softly and said, “I knew you’d join me on the dark side eventually.”

Leveling her with the kind of gaze that threatened to burn her up from the inside out, Regina replied silkily, “I was here long before you arrived, dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, while I am like Emma in most cases, I do not agree with her about feijoas. I used to eat them all the time as a kid. I do, however, hate lemons.


	19. Chapter 19

Regina woke when something settled on top of her. She opened her eyes to the sight of Henry covering her with the blanket she’d brought him earlier. She’d smiled at first, touched that he might actually care if she freezed in the night, until she remembered Emma was there, beneath her, quietly snoring away. Her chest started to ache, while her eyes widened in panic.

Henry shook his head and smiled. “It’s okay, Mom.”

Relief. Confusion. Complete and utter shock; she couldn’t quite decide which she felt more of. She swallowed, throat dry as she croaked, “It is?”

“Yeah.” She could practically hear his shrug. “Two moms is better than one, anyway.”

“True dat.” Emma, it seemed, had awoken. She raised her hand and high-fived their son. Regina quietly began to laugh. Happiness, amusement or hysteria; she wasn’t quite sure which of those it was either. “Go to bed, Kid; we’ll see you in the morning.”

He nodded and bent down, kissing them both on the cheek. When he straightened, he squinted down at them- Emma, specifically, and said, “French toast?”

Emma chuckled. “Sure.”

“Cool. Night Moms, love you.”

“You too, Kid.”

Ten, maybe fifteen seconds passed before Regina felt the sharp poke to her ribs. She gasped, cheeks warming. He’d said _Moms_ , but she didn’t think he was talking to her as well. 

Emma apparently disagreed. 

“Sweet dreams, baby,” Regina croaked, “Love you too.”

He grinned as he turned to leave and strong, safe arms wrapped around her. Emma placed a kiss against her temple, breath warming her skin, “You okay?”

Unexpectedly so.

The laughter was happiness, as it turned out. She’d felt it so rarely, it had taken her a moment to figure it out. It shouldn’t be unexpected considering Henry had caused a majority of what happiness she had felt in the past ten, almost eleven, years. In recent months, however, up until Emma had shown up on her doorstep that night, the only thing she’d expected from him was vitriol and disdain.

“Yes.” Emma, she knew, was all that had changed between them. She added, “Thanks to you.”

The arms around her gave a firm squeeze, a nose brushing behind her ear. “Someone had to stick up for you,” Emma whispered, kissing a spot just below her ear that sent a shiver down Regina’s spine.

A sliver of guilt pierced her chest a mere second after. She didn’t deserve Emma’s defense, she knew. Everything Henry had accused her of, everything barring how much he believed she loved him, was true. She was the Evil Queen, a murderer. She had cursed everyone, even herself, and she wasn’t his real mother, Emma was...

Sighing, she closed her eyes and waited for the feeling and thoughts to dissipate. As much as she wanted to in that moment, she couldn’t confess. There was too much at stake, too much to lose if she gave in now. Henry would go back to hating her, and Emma would start as soon as she realized just how much of the miserable life she’d had before Storybrooke was her fault.

“Hey.” Eyes snapping open, Regina hummed. Her lids fluttered, though, when she registered the warm hand stroking her stomach, as Emma murmured in her ear, “I know you had plans for me, but I was thinking maybe they could wait until tomorrow? I don’t want to fall asleep on you.”

Regina groaned inwardly, her whole body deflating with the reminder. They’d waited _months_. Tonight was supposed to be the night, and she had to go and waste the chance with ridiculous _introspection_.

“I mean, we could try-”

“No,” she interrupted, groaning aloud this time.

“But-”

“You’re tired,” she said, holding in the sigh that begged to follow her next words. “I can wait.” She didn’t _want_ to, but she could. For a few more hours, at least. “In the morning, you’re mine.”

“Does that mean I’m staying?”

The sheer idiocy- “Of course you are.”

“I didn’t want to assume...”

The hold on her loosened as she squirmed. She flipped over and got on her hands and knees to stare at the idiot. “So instead, you just assumed we’d have sex, and then what? I’d make you leave? Thanks for the fuck, Miss Swan,” she drawled, “don’t forget to lock up on your way out?”

Emma held her gaze a moment longer, then shook her head. “Yeah, okay,” she said and closed her eyes. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“What?” Regina frowned. She couldn’t just start something, and then just- “Emma?”

“Shhh. Sleeping.”

Growling, she swatted her shoulder. Emma peered up at her with one eye. “You can’t be an idiot and then pretend to be asleep when I’m justifiably mad at you for it.”

“Sure I can.” Mouth quirked, the eye closed again. 

Letting the silence fall, Regina waited, certain Emma would take another peek and see the glare directed at her.

She didn’t.

Regina sighed and caved after a few minutes. Emma wasn’t going to argue with her, and while the sofa was comfortable enough for a nap, she’d passed out on it enough times to know they’d both regret sleeping on it for more than an hour or two. “I want to sleep in my bed.” 

The arms around her went slack entirely, falling away. “Sorry.”

Ignoring the unwarranted, and frankly _stupid_ , apology, Regina climbed from on top of her and stood. When she glanced down to find what appeared to be Emma still feigning sleep, she sighed even louder. “Emma.”

“Yeah?”

“I meant with you,” she said.

Hands raised, Emma popped both eyes open as she repeated, “Not assuming.”

“Stop being an idiot and come to bed with me.”

“Fiiine.” Emma pushed herself up and off the sofa. As soon as she was on her feet, Regina found herself back in her arms, being _teased_ of all things as Emma leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. “Bossy.”

Regina grumbled against the soft, perfect mouth. “I’ll show you bossy.”

Emma grinned and picked her up suddenly, ignoring her gasp. “Looking forward to it,” she said, legs snug around her waist as she carried Regina off to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know this wasn't exactly the update I'm fairly sure I led everyone to believe would be coming next. It's not the one I intended either, unfortunately the one I did intend turned into something that couldn't be a part of this story. It doesn't fit, which is why I decided to turn it into a oneshot that I will be posting in future, purely smut, of course.
> 
> Next chapter should be that, but between the oneshot and the difficulty I continue to find with writing said smut despite the 8 years or so of practice, I have no idea when I will be done with either. Sorry, but I'm sure you all will find something to occupy yourselves in the meantime.


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